Courthouse Site A Winner

February 17, 1989

The Orange County Commission should be commended on its selection of the Midtown site for the new county courthouse. The 9-acre site between Amelia and Livingston streets and Orange and Magnolia avenues is compatible with Orlando's downtown development plans and costs $12.2 million less than the 13-acre backup site just north of the East-West Expressway.

The Midtown site is also a money-saver because the county only has to negotiate with four landowners - one of which is the city of Orlando. Most important, the 400-foot Federal Aviation Administration height restriction on the Midtown site allows the county to build its planned 375-foot building without long negotiations.